World Cup party site proposed as Park East temp use

A vacant lot on downtown Milwaukee's Park East strip could become a World Cup party site next summer, under a proposal pending before the County Board.

Nomadic Ventures Inc., a group led by restaurant and tavern operator Mike Eitel, wants a short-term lease for two blocks owned by Milwaukee County, north of W. Juneau Ave., between N. 4th and N. 6th streets.

Nomadic Ventures would sponsor a community event celebrating the 2014 FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament from June 9 through July 9, according to a report filed with the board by Teig Whaley-Smith, county economic development director.

The 4.9-acre site would include a central bar area with food service and a beer garden, along with a large outdoor viewing area for televised World Cup matches, according to a preliminary site plan submitted with the report.

The plan also shows an entertainment area with a stage; an "international market place" and other pop-up stores; other smaller bar and food areas; a parking lot, and three courts for futsal, a derivation of soccer.

Eitel's operations include the Nomad World Pub, 1401 E. Brady St., which has staged outdoor viewing parties for past World Cup matches.

"After producing four previous World Cups, attendance grew and it became clear that the demand had become so great that even the block party on Brady Street in 2010 was not enough to accommodate southeastern Wisconsin’s soccer fans," according to the proposal.

"The Nomad will partner with an event producer to ensure world-class levels of security, sanitation, programming, and operational execution," the proposal says.

"A parking lot substantial enough to accommodate tour coaches will also be on site as well as plenty of logistical infrastructure. Vendors will be both local and national, with sponsors running the gamut from large multi-national corporations to home-grown companies and small businesses," it said.

The lease would run from Jan. 1 through July 31, with Nomadic Ventures paying rent of $5,000 a month. It would not restrict the county’s ability to market and sell the property during the term of the lease, the report says.

The event would "provide value to the community, increase summer tourism, provide a modest revenue stream from these Park East parcels, and showcase to prospective purchasers what a lucrative and vibrant downtown location the Park East Corridor provides," Whaley-Smith's report says.

The board's Economic and Community Development Committee is to consider the proposed lease at its Monday meeting.